Julie McClendon-Kadis  a second year MSW Title IV-E student was Honored by the Faculty Senate on Thursday February 16, 2006. Julie was the recipient of the Post Baccalaureate award for 2006.

Julie describes herself as dedicated to a career working with children and families in Child Protective Services. Having grown up in foster care herself, she appreciates the importance of lifelong connections with caring people and supportive ties with community.

Julie graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a with a degree in business and a concentration in marketing. She is a lifetime member of the Golden Key National Honors Society and National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Over the past 10 years she has served as a Public Health Educator with the Santa Cruz Aids Project, Patient Advocate, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), Outreach worker, and as a Mentor for foster children.

Over time Julie realized her life calling was to become a social worker and made a decision to pursue an MSW. She is currently a member of social work honor society Phi Epsilon and has served as a student representative at the IV-E Conference and a Co-Team Leader at the IV-E conference. She has worked as a houseparent in a level 12 groups home, a social worker in an adoption agency, and most recently as an emergency response social worker in CPS.

Upon graduation Julie is excited about the prospect of continuing to work in CPS and eventually see’s herself increasing her involvement in policy and legislation on local, state, and possibly national levels. She will pursue her L.C.S.W. in hopes of better serving foster and adopted children heal from trauma and attachment disorders. At some point Julie hopes to go on and earn a doctorate, but ultimately knows that her journey as a social worker will lead her to many opportunities to serve children, families, and communities. There is no doubt in her mind that she has found her life’s calling and that a very substantial part of who she is will forever be devoted to the profession of social work.